Design data format and hierarchy management for phase processing

Abstract

Definition of a phase shifting layout from an original layout can be time consuming. If the original layout is divided into useful groups, i.e. clusters that can be independently processed, then the phase shifting process can be performed more rapidly. If the shapes on the layout are enlarged, then the overlapping shapes can be grouped together to identify shapes that should be processed together. For large layouts, growing and grouping the shapes can be time consuming. Therefore, an approach that uses bins can speed up the clustering process, thereby allowing the phase shifting to be performed in parallel on multiple computers. Additional efficiencies result if identical clusters are identified and processing time saved so that repeated clusters of shapes only undergo the computationally expensive phase shifter placement and assignment process a single time.

1. A method of handling flat data for phase processing, the flat data including a plurality of shapes, the method comprising:
 partitioning the plurality of shapes into a plurality of bins;  
 growing the shapes within each of the plurality of bins to identify clusters, wherein a cluster comprises a subset of shapes from the plurality of shapes identified as overlapping after the growing;  
 preparing a phase shifting layout for the flat data by phase shifting each of the plurality of clusters independently of one another,  
 wherein growing the shapes includes extending certain edges of a shape a predetermined amount,  
 wherein growing the shapes further includes at least one of:  
 using an endcap technique, wherein a line end is not grown; and  
 using a diagonal corner technique, wherein a corner of a shape is grown the predetermined amount.  
 
   
   
     2. A method of handling flat data for phase processing, the flat data including a plurality of shapes, the method comprising:
 partitioning the plurality of shapes into a plurality of bins;  
 growing the shapes within each of the plurality of bins to identify clusters, wherein a cluster comprises a subset of shapes from the plurality of shapes identified as overlapping after the growing;  
 preparing a phase shifting layout for the flat data by phase shifting each of the plurality of clusters independently of one another; and  
 detecting identical clusters within each bin before preparing the phase shifting layout.  
 
   
   
     3. A method of handling flat data for phase processing, the flat data including a plurality of shapes, the method comprising:
 partitioning the plurality of shapes into a plurality of bins;  
 growing the shapes within each of the plurality of bins to identify clusters, wherein a cluster comprises a subset of shapes from the plurality of shapes identified as overlapping after the growing;  
 preparing a phase shifting layout for the flat data by phase shifting each of the plurality of clusters independently of one another; and  
 detecting identical clusters during preparing the phase shifting layout.  
 
   
   
     4. The method of claims  3 , wherein detecting identical clusters includes computing a checksum for each cluster. 
   
   
     5. A method of handling flat data for phase processing, the flat data including a plurality of shapes, the method comprising:
 partitioning the plurality of shapes into a plurality of bins;  
 growing the shapes within each of the plurality of bins to identify clusters, wherein a cluster comprises a subset of shapes from the plurality of shapes identified as overlapping after the growing;  
 preparing a phase shifting layout for the flat data by phase shifting each of the plurality of clusters independently of one another; and  
 detecting identical clusters within multiple bins.  
 
   
   
     6. A computer data signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising:
 a plurality of clusters corresponding to layout data, wherein each cluster represents a plurality of shapes in the layout data, the plurality of shapes having a predetermined proximity to each other, wherein the plurality of clusters are phase shifted independently of one another, and  
 wherein the predetermined proximity is determined by at least one of:  
 using a grow technique, wherein certain edges of each shape are extended a predetermined amount;  
 using an endcap technique, wherein a line end is not grown; and  
 using a diagonal corner technique, wherein a corner of a shape is grown the predetermined amount.